Lumen & Caligo
by jsaba
Summary: When Azula is ordered to burn her brother and after a quarell she does, what will happen? Can Ursa save both of her kids from their father's clutches,can she save her daughter from turning into the same beast as her father? Pro-Bending-Circuit prompt,tittle means Light and Darkness in Latin and it is the theme of the one-shot since the two are batteling inside of Azula, R&R,enjoy.


Princess Ursa was watching her 6 years old son practice his fire bending in one of the gardens restlessly.

She fought tears as he punched a tree or stomped his foot on the ground furiously a time, or just letting out cries marred with fury before wiping the tears cascading down his cheeks with his sleeve and resuming trying again the newest Kata that he seemed to always fail.

_My little brave fighter! _She thought, _do not give up so easy, and keep fighting as you always did!_

She sighted, it was now her turn to wipe away tears falling down her cheeks.

_He had been trying all day long! I had to drag him so that he actually ate something and not just kept going until he dehydrated or dropped down with starvation!_

The beautiful, brown haired woman wished she could go and offer any type of comfort she could think of, hug him, hold him, reassure him... Just not watch her poor son cry and fall alone.

But the princess had already tried, more than once she have attempted to offer her wisdom or alleviation only to have her son push her away and decline her offer although he looked like he could use a mother's kiss or hug.

After several minutes she tore her eyes away from the torturing scenery wishing that her son was not so stubborn, for now all what she had was to go ask her husband what hurtful words did he come up with today.

_What cruel thing did he say to him now? Ever since her daughter started fire bending a few weeks ago the prince of the fire nation had attempted nothing but setting the two children against each other and comparing them! What has gotten into him?_

She walked angrily all the sorts of ideas crossing her mind, that was when she blinded by anger and driven by all sorts of raging emotions almost bumped into her 4 year old daughter if not for the girl's sharp reflexes.

"Oh, I'm very sorry! I was not looking where I was going! Are you okay? Are you hurt sweetheart?" Ursa asked her voice dripping of true concern as she bent down and hugged the six year old.

Azula smiled secretly from behind her mother's back, then she put on a bored face and said carelessly as her father taught her almost a month ago,

"I am fine mother; you could stop hugging me now." Secretly the child wished the hug lasted longer, but for now, she had the hug cherished in her heart.

Ursa reluctantly let go of her daughter, then a thought occurred to her.

"Azula honey, where have you been all day? I did not see you at all since breakfast."

_You will not know will you? Since you were so busy, watching Zuzu and have absolutely no time for me just like dad said._

"Fire bending practice with father," She answered in an as-a-matter-of-fact tune, "it was since noon actually."

"Ozai is already training you?"

"Yes."

"And you have been training for 5 hours today?"

"Yes. Is that a problem mother?"

_Of course it is! It is a bunch of problems actually! You are four Azula and you have been trying for 5 hours, with my husband, which does not give any breaks! That cannot be healthy! _Ursa thought furiously.

"No, it is not a problem at all sweetie."

_Of course, it is not! _Azula thought furiously, _I am not Zuko so that you would worry!_

Ursa noticed the look of unease of her daughter's face,

"Azula, is something wrong?"

_ Maybe the training has gotten into her._

"No I am fine."

"Okay honey, do you know where your father is?"

"Yes, retired to his quarters after training or so he told me."

"Okay thank you." Before the child left a new idea crossed Ursa's mind, "Azula, can you go help your brother? He has been trying a new form all day and he cannot get it right, you know that form I believe, so would you mind helping him?"

_Of course I mind!_

Then she saw her father crossing the hallway behind her mother, he gave her a look that clearly mouthed ACCEPT!

She hesitated before saying,

"Okay mother, I believe he is in the main garden?"

"Yes sweetheart thank you."

Ursa left to search for Ozai who slid behind a pillar as his wife walked passed him.

"Azula, come here, I need you to do something for me."

O0o0o0oo0

Azula walked to the main garden her mind in a state of war.

_Should I do it? _She thought _why would I do that to Zuko. He is weak._

_ Father said so, but he said that I should do this because he is so weak._

_ Is it acceptable to attack those who are weaker than you? Mother said that that was not acceptable and very shameful and low._

_ Who cares about what she said?!_ Another part of her mind said, _when did she do anything good for us? She wants you-us- to be weak, to be just like Zuzu!_

_ She does not want anyone to be better than her little prince! Don't you see? She has been acting differently ever since you started to fire bend, did you see the look on her face when you told her that father is your mentor?_

_ She just wants what is good for Zuzu, that is why she told you to help him, this is why she wants you, just to use you!_

_ Even if, I know that my mother_ _hates me, but why would I hurt my brother? If he is so weak, then will he survive? There is no reason beside that the order came out from father's mouth._

_ There is a reason!_ Her mind snapped, the battle grew to be part of her young mind speaking for the heart pumping in her chest while the other spoke for common logic or sense, what she had been taught, her father and for the selfish part in her.

_If we did not obey we will be burned! _

_ But he loves me, not like her, he will not raise a hand on me._

_ He will, and even if he did not, do you want him to be disappointed in you? He is the only family member who cares about you Azula, and you are doing this for a reason, it will help your brother become stronger, believe me._

The 4 years old princess would have dwelled on the idea a bit more if not she almost bumped into her brother.

"Azula! Watch it I almost burned you!" Her brother scolded.

She looked at him, his eyes carried a shade of worry, for her probably, and a shade of desperation although he sounded angry, faint tear lines ran on his cheeks, he was sweaty, and clearly trying to hold back tears.

"I am not burned dum-dum."

He fell silent and his gaze dropped to his shoes.

After sometime he spoke,

"I suppose you are not and you will never be," Azula noticed a faint end of a burn on his palm as he stole a glance towards his left arm, had father burned him?

Zuko continued before she got a chance to think,

"You are just too perfect Azula... Daddy's little perfect princess who never screws up!" Anger showed in his voice, Azula noted.

"You are just so perfect Azula aren't you? You never have to practice or do anything, because-because you were born lucky while I was lucky to be born!"

Tears were cascading down his cheeks, his eyes were red just like his face, the prince was shaking head to toe, and anger had conquered his handsome young features and body.

It was Azula's turn to speak now,

"Shut up Zuzu! You-"

"Don't call me that!"

"-You don't know anything! Father said that, and it is not my fault! You are just jealous that I am a much better fire bender than you are! You are a miserable failure and you are blaming me for it, you weak useless failure!"

Zuko saw anger flash in her eyes, just the same way it did with Ozai, and she dared to say that?

"Shut up Azula! You are lying! It is just the only thing you can do! Right Azula! You big-you big Loser!" He finished rather lamely.

"You are just jealous because you are nothing but a disappointment to father while I am someone who he is not embarrassed to talk about! Why don't you run back to mom you little cry-baby!"

"Take that back!" She sounded just like Ozai.

"Or else what Zuzu?"  
"Don't call me that!"

"Or else what? I am so sick of you bossing me around just because you were born first! Who cares? I'm so sick of you, I will be fire lord and you will beg me to lick my shoes, if I was generous, I might allow you, but now I might as well act like daddy's little princess as you said!"

With that, before Zuko could take in what she said much less think of a thing to fire at her, the world turned white and he felt his throat tear apart as he screamed while heat licked his face.

O0o0o0o0

Azula did not care when her mother cast a dirty look at her, and was almost about to slap her if she was not busy taking Zuko back to the infirmary.

She wanted to find her father and tell him what she did, but she should seem as if it was nothing, so that he could be even prouder.

Azula walked to her room, and she screamed into her pillow after she collapsed on her bed, _what have I done?_

O0oo0o0o

Ursa was getting more and more worried, she looked at her son who just woke up, and tears fell down her cheeks.

His face was bandaged, from his left cheek and down his neck, the physician said that the little prince will be fine, and he will not be scarred because he was brought immediately to be treated.

"Honey, what do you need?"

Zuko hesitated, he wanted the dragon stuffed animal his cousin Lu Ten gave him before he left for his first war campaign a few months ago, it was Lu Ten's and he told Zuko to take care of Kasai-that was his name- for him until he returned.

"I-I wanted Kasai mom." He said in a small voice, his voice was muffled by the heavy bandage across his face, the events of a few hours ago rushed to his mind, Azula!

Ursa saw the realisation drown on he son's face, she kissed his forehead and decided to go to his room to get the dragon Kasai and give her son a bit to think.

As she walked, she wondered what got her while she did what she did.

She was slowly turning to Ozai that was not good, nowhere near good.

The princess continued dwelling on her thought, she finally reached the corridor, and that was when she heard the faint sobs coming from the chest in the corner before the two children's rooms.

Ursa slowly progressed to the chest and opened it to find her daughter.

"Azula?"

"Mom!" Azula ran to her mother's embrace ignoring her mind and her father's voice which seemed to live in her.

Ursa was shocked.

"Mom I'm sorry! I did not mean to! Dad said that I should and..."

Azula was babbling apologies, Ursa cupped her daughter's chin in her hand and raised her face so that their eyes made contact, she knelt and the two were of the same height, almost.

"Azula did your father-" That was when she saw the huge hand print shaped mark on her daughter's face.

"Azula? What happened to you?"

Silence.

"Azula! Look at me honey, sweetheart, what happened to your face? Who did this to you honey?!"

As if Ursa did not know the answer, but she refused to believe it almost as much as she refused to believe that Ozai was the one who set things up.

"D-D-Dad."

She hugged her daughter while the child sobbed to her robes.

"Mom, I-I don't want to be like him! I don't want you to hate me! I don't want Zuko to hate me!"

"Azula! Listen to me, do not believe Ozai, you are not a monster."

"But I hurt him! I hurt Zuko! He will never forgive me!"

"He will Azula, and there is a bright side to this."  
"What? There is no bright side, there is just darkness."

"There is Azula, believe me, **it is just that during our darkest moments, we must focus to see the light.**"

"What light? There is no light in me, there is no good, he said that!"

"Azula," She dragged her bawling daughter to the small window and pointed to the stars, the night was velvet and dark.

"See honey, although the night is dark there are stars, they light the sky, there is always light. And the fire, the fire that is just for harm as your father might have told you, fire can light dark tunnels, fire can light the night, and there is fire inside of you to that just as there is to burn."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course sweetie. And you know, the stars Azula, they watch over us, they are spirits, and sometimes the spirits of those who we loved us, promise me Azula in front of them, that you will never be like him, okay?"

Azula sniffed and nodded and then said,

"I promise."

Ursa hugged her daughter as the child cried into her robes.

Azula then asked to go to Zuko to apologize, and Ursa took her, he spoke to Zuko, and after sometime the two forgave each other, and they actually hugged.

The princess of fire made her daughter sleep in the bed beside her brother, who was deep asleep due to the medicine the healer gave him so that he would feel no pain.

Of course, Azula fell asleep right after the physician treated her injury.

Ursa went to talk to her husband, after she was sure that the kids were alright and not separated where he could harm them both.

O0o0oo0

Azula woke up almost an hour later to the sound of two loud voices.

"Ozai what have you done?!"

Mom. Her heart skipped a beat while her mind raced.

"She is my daughter! She needed to be taught a lesson after she failed."

Her heart ran a mile a minute.

Zuko was asleep due to the medicine, she was left alone to listen.

Minutes trailed so slowly in a way they felt like forever, Azula brought her knees up to her chest and started sobbing.

The argument was a blur, she saw nothing but the tone of both voices and the words told her more than what she needed to know.

The only thing she was capable of thinking was that this was her fault.

"Why Ozai? Because she did not kill her brother?"

"You are turning her to failure just like her pathetic excuse of a brother!"

"You are turning her to a monster!-"

Azula heard nothing afterwards, the walls seemed to have grown bigger, she felt so small, was this how it felt to be betrayed.

The emotions that the toddler kept bottled up in her heart were now accompanied by different raging ones, she could not take it anymore.

She could not take it anymore, her heart felt like it was burning.

She ran instantly out of the door, not knowing where her feet where taking her, she needed out, and into the small garden in front of the infirmary.

Both her parents had no time to react, the castle was filled with a scream marred with hurt, anger, and a million shades of emotions alongside with a blue light caused by the first person that bended right now the blue fire in more than a century.

O0o0o0

A mission in the forum Pro bending Circuit, I hoped that you like it.

This is the first time Azula bent blue fire, and I think it would be fit for the series, what do you think?

In addition, the title means Light and dark, it is just in Latin.


End file.
